Buckle assembling device



Nov. 15, 1949 J. A. TURlNl 2,488,352

BUCKLE AS SEMBLING DEVICE Filed NOV. 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l m wml NOV. 15, 1949 J, TURINI 2,488,352

BUCKLE ASSEMBLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W l /WI I Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to the buckle art, and more particularly to a novel apparatus for assembling a buckle frame and tongue.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for the continuous and automatic assembly of tongues and buckle frames.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for speedily and efficiently performing in one automatic operation, several manual operations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for assembling tongues and buckle frames which reduces errors, promotes uniformity, and eliminates waste of materials.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 33 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, the upper die element being in lowered position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the closing plunger; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the wire holding plunger.

Shoe buckles and similar types of buckles are usually made by first cutting the buckle frame from sheet stock, attaching the roller and tongue to the frame by hand or on a kick press, and then tumbling and polishing or plating the finished buckle. These operations require the individual handling of each buckle and the separate manufacture of the individual parts.

In my copending application entitled Method of making buckles, filed September 16, 1946, Serial No. 697,261, now Patent No. 2,481,179, granted September 6, 1949, I have described a novel method of manufacture which eliminates the individual and excessive handling of parts by attaching the buckle parts to a continuous strip of metal prior to cutting out the blank. The apparatus of the present invention provides a means for automatically and continuously forming the tongue and attaching it to the metal strip. This automatically produces the third step in the above method.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is made in the form of a die set, with a fixed lower element and a reciprocating upper element, so that it can be readily attached to and operated by a conventional power press (not shown).

' Referrin more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, the lower die element It) comprises a base ll of generally rectangular shape and having conventional die guide posts l2 extending upwardly from each front corner (Fig. 1). Mounted on the base ll, adjacent the front edge thereof, is a rectangular block l3, A U-shaped channel M extends transversely across the top of the block l3 and is covered by a plate I5 bolted to the top of the block (Figs. 3 and 5). A plunger I6 is slidably mounted in the channel 14, the outer end ll extending downwardly to form an L-shape. A coil spring I8 is mounted in a base 19 extending into the block l3 parallel to and just below the channel M. The spring I8 is of suflicient length to extend outwardly from the block 13 and bear against the end ll of the plunger Hi to normally push the plunger outwardly (Fig. 3). The inner end of the plunger I6 is provided with an oval opening 20 which extends into the plunger in a semi-circle (Figs. 3 and 5). An S-shaped stop element I20 is bolted to the front of the base II and extends into the path of movement of the plunger I6 to prevent the plunger Hi from being pushed completely out of the channel l4 by the spring 18.

Mounted behind the block [3 is the feed arrangement for feeding the cut-out metal strip (in dotted lines in Fig. 1) to the machine, the strip being moved from left to right (Fig. 1). The feed comprises two rectangular plates 22 and 23 bolted together and mounted on edge behind the block l3 and extending to the left of the block (Fig. 1). The front plate 22 extends from the left and terminates behind the block I3 just short of the channel opening 14. It is provided with a horizontal slot 24 extending to the left of the block I3 (Fig. 1), a feed finger 25 extending into the slot to feed the metal strip at timed intervals. The feed finger is conventionally driven by the power press mechanism (not shown).

The rear plate 23 is cut away, as at 26, to form a slot between the two plates through which the metal strip is fed. The slot 24 communicates with the slot 28, and the lower end of the slot is widened, as at 21, to accommodate the rollers on the metal strip. Mounted on the plate 23 is a rocker arm 28, one end being resiliently pressed upwardly by a spring 29, and the other end bearin against a friction plunger 30 which extends downwardly into the slot 26 and acts as a guide for the metal strip, pushing it towards the bottom' of the slot.

An adjustable screw 3| is mounted on the base II, its flat head being in line with the slot 26 and serving to support the metal strip as it emerges from the slot (Fig. 1). Another rectangular block 32 is mounted behind the plates 22 and 23, the block 32 being narrower than the block l3 and of equal length. In line with the channel opening I and just below it, the block 32 is cut away to form a narrow raised platform portion 33 .(Fig. 6), a guide block 34 being mounted on the block 32 to the left of and flush against the portion 33. The back of the block 32, behind the portion 33, is cut away vertically to form a vertical slot 35. The base l3 may also be provided with a slot 36 forming an extension of the slot 35 for the disposal of waste material.

A rectangular block 31 is mounted behind the block 32. The upper right corner edge, Fig. 3, is cut away, and an anvil member 38 is mounted therein. The top of the member 38 is domed with the forward edge cut back, as at 39 (Figs. 3 and 4). The top of the block 31 is'provided with a transverse slot 48 in line with the platform portion 33 on the block 32. A plate 4| is bolted to the top of the block 31, covering the slot 40, and an insert 42 extends into the slot 40 to fill up all but a small opening through which the wire 43 is fed. A small block 44 may be mounted behind the block 31 to act as a buffer and help absorb the shock during the operation.

The wire is fed into the opening 40 by a conventional roller feed 45 (Fig. 2) operated in a conventional manner by the power press mechanism (not shown).

The upper die element 46 comprises a generally rectangular portion 41 having guide portions 48 which are vertically slidable on the posts I 2 of the lower element I0. A plunger 49 is bolted to the front edge of the portion 41, extending downwardly therefrom. The lower edge is tapered, as at 50, to form a cam surface which acts against the corner of the plunger l6 (Fig. 3), so that downward movement of the plunger 49 pushes the plunger 16 inwardly against the action of the spring l8.

The portion 41 has an upwardly extending integral portion (cut away) for attaching to the hammer portion of a power press in a conventional manner. The portion 5| has a central bore forming a housing 52 in which a spring 53 bears downwardly on the enlarged head 54 of a plunger 55. The plunger 55 extendsthrough an opening at the bottom of the housing 52 and through a block 56 mounted under the portion 41. The lower end of the plunger 55 is cut away, as at'5'l. to form a flat guide edge slidable against the guide block 34, Fig. 6. Bolted to one side of the block 56, behind the plunger 55, is a cutting plunger 58 which has a sharp-cornered, fiat, bottom edge which is vertically reciprocable in the slot 35.

In operation, the feed finger 25 moves the metal strip until a blank opening is in line with the channel opening l4. The roller feed45 now pushes the wire 43 through the slot 40 until it passes over one of the center bars in the metal strip. At this point the upper element 46 descends and the lower end of the plunger 55, which extends downwardly beyond the cutting plunger 58, pins the wire 43 into the corner formed by the platform 33 and guide block 34, Fig. 6. It should be noted that the top of the platform is lower than the wire slot 40 so that the cutting will take place at the anvil 38.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plunger 55 retains its position on the wire 43, the spring 53 compressing 58 enters the slot 35, bending the wire 43 over the domed top of the anvil member 38 and shearing it off at the cut back portion 39, leaving the end of the wire bent downwardly over the anvil, Fig. 3. Further downward movement of the plunger 58' bends the inner end of the cut portion of the wire downwardly over the edge of the platform 33. This end forms the tip of the tongue. 1

Now downward movement of the cam plunger 49 causes its edge 5|] to push the plunger I6 inwardly until the opening engages the bent end of the cut portion of the wire 43 now held by the plunger 55 and braced against the plunger 58. The pressure of the plunger l6 causesthe wire to bend inwardly, Fig. 4, forming a loop around the central bar of the metal strip. As the element 46 raises, the plunger 49 first releases the plunger l6 which is drawn back by the spring l8. The plungers 58 and 55 are also raised and the device is ready to start another cycle of operain the appended claims.

as the element 46 descends. The cutting plunger Iclaim:

1. A machine comprising means for clamping a length of wire, an anvil, means for supporting said clamping means and anvil in spaced relationship, and a plunger movable between said clamping means and said anvil and shaped to cooperate with said clamping means to shear the wire and cooperate with said anvil .to bend the wire thereover.

2. A machine comprising means for clamping a length of wire, an anvil, means for supporting said clamping means and anvil in spaced relationship, a plunger movable between said clamp ing means and said anvil and shaped to cooperate with said clamping means to shear the wire and cooperate with said anvil to bend the wire thereover, and a bending die movable at right angles to said plunger to further bend said wire, said plunger in its extreme operating position backing-up the previously sheared wire.

3. A machine comprising means for clamping a length of wire, an anvil, means for supporting said clamping means and anvil in spaced relationship, and a plunger movable between said clamping means and said anvil and shaped to co-. operate with said clamping means to shear the wire and cooperate with said anvil to bend the wire thereover, said plunger having a bending portion terminating in a shearing portion.

JOHN A. TURINI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,067 Great Britain Dec. 31,1907 

